Dean, School of Transport and Logistics at the Lagos State University (LASU),Ojo, Prof. Samuel Odewumi, has urged tertiary institutions to retain their good institutional memories.
He said such would enhance progressive and cumulative development of higher institutions in the country.
Odewumi,  a Professor of Transport and Environment,  said this  at a virtual  book presentation to celebrate Prof. Peter Okebukola ‘s  70th birthday on Saturday in Lagos.
The title of the book is: “Prof. Peter Okebukola at 70: Media Dialogue on Pivotal Issues in Higher Education Development in Nigeria”.
The Tide gathered that Okebukola  who clocked 70 on February.17 is  a distinguished Professor of Science and Computer Education.
He was also a former Executive Secretary,National Universities Commission(NUC) and  the Director of the World Bank-funded Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education at LASU.
The book contains 795 pages and were put together by some editors and contributors in higher education such as: Prof.Sola Akinrinade, Provost ,Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria and  Prof. Samuel Odewumi,the Dean, School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University.
Other contributors include, Prof. Anthony Kola-Olusanya,Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Research, Innovation and Partnerships (ARIP), Osun State University; Sir John Daniel, the former Assistant Director-General of UNESCO and  Prof. Olarenwaju  Fagbohun,  the immediate past Vice Chancellor,LASU.
Odewunmi  said that retaining institutional memory is very important rather than the  usual disjointed and sporadic approach to the management of public sector agencies.
”The phenomenon of succeeding chief executives abandoning projects and initiatives of their  predecessors is unfortunately  and also  it is an alarming feature of many higher educational institutions in the country.
”Addressing this issue through the lenses of  the Okebukola initiatives at the NUC is, especially,  critical given the dire straits in which we are as a country.
“ This is also with regards to resources that should not be frittered away through constant restarting of programmes at the inception of every new administration,” Odewumi said.
He added that Okebukola had at least 61 university system-wide initiatives and 33 NUC-internal initiatives during his five-year tenure as  the Executive Secretary of the NUC between 2001 and 2006.
“These are major landmark initiatives not perfunctory; they are impactful actions in the day to day leadership of the institution.
“This is, no doubt, revolutionary by any standard. It is a reflection of the prodigious capacity to think and execute. Okebukola is simply phenomenal.
”Okebukola did not win his laurels in propagation of knowledge and pillar of e-learning for nothing, he really earned it,” Odewumi said.
Also, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, the Chief Executive, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB),  said that tertiary education in Nigeria had over the years been a centre of cacophony with reference to policy formulation and implementation.
Oloyede said that such cacophonies border on the scope, landscape, mandates and regulatory agencies of tertiary education in Nigeria.
“They also include the unnecessary furore on the UTME cut-off marks and qualifications for admissions into tertiary institutions as well as the dynamics of rewards for achievements and others.
“It is emphasised that the whole tertiary education subsector requires a holistic overhaul in terms of nomenclature, organisation and functionality.
”I recommend a structural reorganisation of the current Ministry of Education as well as some agencies within its supervision as a way of revamping higher education in Nigeria,” he said.
The celebrator, Prof. Peter Okebukola, in his remarks said that all the essays in the   book were put together for yesterday, today and the  future of higher education in Nigeria.
Okebukola said that the book contained major key points needed to tackle  challenges facing higher education.
He said, “There is a global burden of quality assurance in the  different sectors not only  in education and Nigeria education system does not present a worst cast scenario.
”I urge governments and stakeholders in the  educational  sector to reduce or wrestle down corruption in the  system so that more money will be injected into the universities,” he said.
It was also gathered that  a former President, Chief   Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote the foreword to the book and Prof.Idowu Olayinka, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor,University of Ibadan, reviewed the book